Man Arrested in Shopkeeper Slayings

Pervaiz Shallwani and Tamer El-Ghobashy

Nov. 21, 2012 8:14 p.m. ET

A Staten Island apparel salesman was charged Wednesday night with murdering three Brooklyn shopkeepers in what the New York City police commissioner called a serial killing spree that began in July and was likely to have continued.

Salvatore Perrone, 63 years old, had already set into motion approaching other business owners, many of whom had called police in recent days to say they know the suspect as an independent clothing salesman who went door-to-door selling to merchants, Police Commissioner
Raymond Kelly
said.

"I think it's reasonable to assume that he was just going to continue doing this and by arresting him we saved lives," Mr. Kelly said. "We know that he went to other locations and asked questions that indicated…that he very well may have been planning to come back."

ENLARGE

Surveillance footage of the man arrested in the shootings of three shopkeepers.
DCPI

Mr. Perrone had been questioned by police for nearly 24-hours before being charged. He was taken into custody late Tuesday when he was recognized by a person inside a Bay Ridge pharmacy, police said. His photo, captured on a surveillance camera, was distributed by police to media outlets, and the person called 911 reporting seeing him, police said.

The images were captured about a block from where Rahmatollah Vahidipour, of Great Neck, Long Island, was found dead Friday night inside She-She Boutique at 834 Flatbush Ave. The 78-year-old had been shot in the head, face and torso.

Mohammed Gebeli was found shot inside Valentino Fashion in Bay Ridge on July 6. Mr. Gebeli, 65, died at a hospital a short while later.

Mr. Perrone, allegedly made statements implicating himself hours after police recovered a .22 caliber rifle that later tested positive as the alleged murder weapon in all three murders, Mr. Kelly said.

"Those tests indicated that the shell casings found at all three crimes scenes were fired from Perrone's weapon," he said.

Mr. Kelly said the suspect's fingerprints were lifted from the alleged murder weapon, which police found in a duffle bag in the closet of Mr. Perrone's girlfriend's Brooklyn apartment.

With all three victims being of Middle Eastern origin, Mr. Kelly said police have not ruled out racial bias as a motive, but it wasn't being charged at this time.

Mr. Kelly said a motive for the crimes was still under investigation.

Mr. Kelly said Mr. Perrone is divorced, and, based on a preliminary investigation, had been having financial problems. Mr. Perrone, a native of Bensonhurst, owns a home in Staten Island, but had spent much time with his girlfriend in Brooklyn.

Police looked at old murder cases involving .22 caliber bullets following the August shooting "but none were found to be linked to this case," Mr. Kelly said.

Mr. Perrone could not be reached for comment. It was unclear if he had retained an attorney. He was waiting to be arraigned Wednesday night in Brooklyn criminal court.

The surveillance image of Mr. Perrone in a trench coat, carrying a duffle bag, was released to the public late Sunday, bringing in a flurry of calls, including those from store owners saying they had been visited by the alleged suspect, Mr. Kelly said.

The gun was originally shipped by the manufacturer in 1977 to a firearms dealer in Manhattan, who has since gone out of business, Mr. Kelly said. The shotgun had a makeshift laser scope, secured to it by electrical tape and two pink rubber bands.

Mr. Kelly said the gun had one live round in the chamber. The bag also contained a box of ammunition for the gun, an empty gun magazine and a 12-inch kitchen knife with dried blood on it. The dried blood is being tested for DNA, Mr. Kelly said.

Mr. Kelly said dozens of detectives worked around the clock, with some working 40 hours straight to break the case.

The girlfriend isn't being looked at as an accomplice at this time, Mr. Kelly said.

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